Food & Drink
Cook great ingredients with love and you won’t go far wrong
May delights from Carina Contini, plus the best vegan and vegetarian wines
Ilove May. The garden is coming into full bloom and my favourite greens are present; broad beans, peas, asparagus.
To top it all off, it’s the month of our wedding anniversary.
Victor and I haven’t had a break together this year. Like most couples with a family we hardly have time for a date, never mind a holiday, but as a huge treat Victor booked a surprise. Antonio Pappano at the Royal Opera House. He’s a conductor and son of an Italian immigrant restaurateur. A good conductor is like a good cook. They choose the best musicians and know where to place them to stimulate the senses. A cook does the same but for your palate.
But music and food are also down to taste. The music my children choose to listen to will never be on my playlist. I listen to but my kids listen to Adele.
Different styles of food will appeal to different palates. What’s important is that we appreciate the love and effort that good cooks put into creating a dish. Fine tuning an instrument and doing the same for your cooking is indeed a skill. But as long as you start off with the best, freshest ingredients and choose what’s in season, you can never go wrong and your cooking will be sweet music to your tummy.
(Speaking of celebrations, my beautiful niece, Sofia who makes our wonderful I’ciacca extra virgin olive oil, just got engaged. Sofia and Luigi. Those two really are a perfect combination).
Spring risotto
My favourite risotto is made with spring vegetables. At home I don’t make the pea purée but use homemade chicken stock. In Contini George Street we make this as a vegetarian dish so need the pea purée to add depth to the vegetable stock. Over to you to meet your taste.
Serves four as a main course
2 litres hot vegetable or chicken stock 400g vialone nano risotto rice 1 shallot, grated glug of white wine 200g seasonal spring vegetables 1 knob of unsalted butter 1 knob of salted butter extra virgin olive oil a handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano seasoning
Choose a heavy based casserole pot, add a knob of salted butter and the same amount of olive oil. Fry the grated shallot until soft and golden. Add the risotto rice and toast for a minute or so. The pan will be hot so keep moving the rice to ensure it doesn’t stick or burn.
Add the white wine and cook off. Add half the vegetables. Lower the heat. Season with a little salt and a ladle of the hot stock. When the stock has cooked off, slowly add more stock a little at a time ensuring it’s cooked off each time. Continue to do this for about 30 minutes. The stock should have absorbed and the rice should be creamy, quite sticky and as wet as good porridge.
When the risotto is al dente and has a slight bite, add the remaining vegetables but finely chop them, then remove from the heat.
Stir in the other knob of unsalted butter and allow to rest for five minutes.
Add the handful of grated Parmigiano. The cheese can be quite salty so check seasoning at this stage. Enjoy.
Cauliflower fritters
We often have these as a pre-lunch Sunday treat. These are great to make and eat while you’re lingering at the stove.
Serves four as a starter (makes about 12)
1 small cauliflower, chopped 4 eggs 25g flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped 4 tbsp plain flour 1 small garlic clove, crushed 25g coriander leaves, chopped light olive oil, for frying salt and pepper
Blanch the cauliflower florets by plunging them in boiling salted water for a few minutes until tender but not overcooked. Drain well and set aside.
Put the eggs, parsley, flour and garlic in a large mixing bowl and season with plenty of black pepper and a generous pinch of salt. Add the chopped coriander. Beat with a wooden spoon or balloon whisk until you have a smooth batter.
Add the cauliflower and coat well with the batter. Break the cauliflower up slightly while you are mixing as this makes the fritters easier to fry.
Add a little oil to a non stick pan and place over a moderate heat. When hot, add a drop of the batter. It should bubble immediately; if it spits, the oil is too hot.
When the oil is the right temperature, add a few tablespoonfuls of batter at a time and fry slowly, turning occasionally until golden all over. Sprinkle with a little salt before serving and enjoy.
Rhubarb and ginger crumble
The rhubarb in the garden is perfect right now. It’s amazing how this vegetable (it’s not a fruit) if cared for correctly can produce so much value for so little work. Cut back at the right
time at the start of the season and you’ll be picking and enjoying it for years.
Serves four
800g rhubarb 25g-50g of light brown sugar (depending on the tartness of the rhubarb) 1 inch of fresh ginger, skin removed 50g chilled unsalted butter 150g self raising flour 50g medium rolled oats 100g demerara sugar pinch of salt double cream or custard, to serve
Wash and chop the rhubarb. Add half the sugar and the ginger (in one piece so it can be removed when cooked) and cook in a pan over a medium heat (adding a splash of water if required) for about 10 minutes until the rhubarb is semi soft.
Check the sugar, adding more if required.
Make the crumble by grating the butter into the flour and rubbing between your fingers to make a fine crumb. Fold in the oats, salt and the demerara sugar.
Place the cooked rhubarb into a pie dish and scatter the crumble on top. Bake at 190C/gas Mark 5 for 30-40 minutes until golden. Serve with double cream or, for a little extra comfort, hot custard.